In the capital city, a man sat meditating in the center of a spacious room.
"Very good, Lucas. Very good," he said with amusement. His small smile suggested he was more entertained than concerned.
He called for Frost, an old man with white hair and a beard, who entered the room emitting an aura of terror and death. Roughly 6 feet tall, he carried himself with an air of authority.
"What do you want, Chancellor?" Frost spoke without honorifics, as he held no respect for the man before him. He believed the Chancellor was nothing more than a snake who would use anyone or anything to achieve his goals.
"I have an order for the Silent Blades. I want 10 of your members to surveil the De Clare estate. I want them to eliminate Lucas De Clare. But if necessary, you can eliminate the entire family," the Chancellor said, his voice laced with malice.
Frost stared at him with eyes full of hatred and disgust. "You want my soldiers to kill a child? Did the king allow this?" he asked.
"The king has allowed me to do anything I want. Remember, I am the one who put him on that seat. I will do the same to his child, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Do you understand? So stop asking questions and do as I say," the Chancellor replied, his voice dripping with poison.
"Very well, Chancellor. I am deeply sorry if I have offended you," Frost bowed.
"Very good. A dog should be obedient. Now, go. I have other work to do,"
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As I stood there, face to face with a replica of myself, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. The voice that came out of it was my own, but something about it felt off.
"I was going to be assassinated, but my knights and I managed to kill them while I chased her into the forest," I explained, feeling the need to be honest given our disadvantageous position. We were vastly outmatched, and if we tried to fight, we would surely be killed.
"Who are you?" the replica asked, eyeing me up and down.
"I am Lucas De Clare, son of Count George and disciple of Calliope the Great," I replied, cautiously studying the replicas in front of me. It was then that I began to suspect that the one I was looking for might be the cause of this.
"That bitch has a disciple now?" the replica said, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. Could it be? Was this Lucia Thornheart, the witch who had gone mad and was once highly respected in the kingdom? She had been caught using soldiers, peasants, and even the dead for her experiments during the last demon war. When Lady Calliope found out, she had attempted to kill Lucia but had only managed to rob her of an eye before she escaped. The only reason she had managed to escape was because of her unbelievable illusion magic
"Are you by any chance Lucia Thornheart?" the replicas began to fade away, losing color as they did. In their place stood a small, hunched-back woman with an ugly face. It wasn't the only thing that faded a huge chunk of the forest behind her disappeared and in its place was a house.
The anger in her voice was palpable, and the aura she exuded made us feel like we were about to kneel at any moment. "How do you know my name?" she demanded.
I took a deep breath, trying to fight the pressure that was bearing down on us. Just how strong was she? It was a huge reality check, but at the same time, it was to be expected. She was one of the most powerful beings in the past.
"Besides the assassins, I came to meet you," I replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"Meet me? Don't tell me you came to kill me to try to impress your master, hahaha!" Her laughter was so loud it made her eyes water. I sighed, knowing that convincing her would be a challenge.
"No, I came to offer you a deal that would be beneficial to both of us," I said. Having her on my side would be a huge plus, but as of right now, I might have underestimated just how strong she truly was.
"A deal?" I seemed to have caught her attention
"If you let me speak to you, I promise it will be worth it. And to make it sweeter, I offer you the six bodies of the assassins," I added.
"Well, okay. But if your deal isn't interesting or good enough, then you should expect not to leave this forest intact," she threatened, pointing at my precious manhood.
Terrified, I looked down at what she was pointing at and gulped. "Fine," I agreed reluctantly.
"Okay, but only one of your knights can come with you into my house," she said
"Malachai" Signaling him to follow me to the shock of Andrew.
The wooden house was old and weathered, with planks of wood that looked like they were ready to crumble at the slightest touch. The paint had faded away, leaving the wood exposed to the elements. The walls were a sickly grey color, covered in patches of green and black mold that crawled up the sides like a living organism.
As we approached the entrance, I could see that the wooden door was barely hanging on its hinges, with cracks and holes allowing slivers of light to stream through. The door was once painted red, but now it was a faded shade of pink, with spots of yellow and brown that looked like rust.
As we stepped inside, the smell hit us like a wall of stench. The interior was dark and dingy, with the same sickly grey color as the exterior. The floorboards creaked with every step, and I could hear the sound of rats scurrying around in the corners. The wooden beams that supported the roof were blackened with age and looked like they could collapse at any moment. The putrid stench of rotten flesh hit us like a punch in the face. The source of the smell was not immediately clear, but it seemed to be emanating from under the floorboards. The air was thick with an odor, making it hard to breathe without gagging.
As I sat down on a rickety wooden chair beside her, she eyed me suspiciously. "Alright, tell me about your deal," she said, her voice full of distrust.
I took a deep breath and began, "Besides the six bodies, I want to offer you a way to get out of this...place." I gestured to the dilapidated surroundings.
"How would you do that? I am a wanted criminal," she retorted, taking a sip of the murky water.
"I want to offer you the chance to restore your honor and become an honorable figure, an inspiration for the kingdom," I said, knowing full well what she desired. After years in solitude, she craved respect and admiration from society.
"I want to overthrow the king and become the new ruler. If you work under me, your past will be forgiven, and your research will become studied and envied. You will be able to walk the streets with your head held high." I paused for a moment before continuing.
"I will fund your research into the chimera and get you new test subjects. After all, the occasional disappearance of peasants is not uncommon. All I ask from you is to make me a drug, a highly addictive one."
"You want to overthrow the king? Don't make me laugh. And restoring my honor? As if that's even possible," she said, her words filled with doubt but her voice tinged with hope.
"I already have the South in my fingertips, and with your help, I can take the next step in my plan, "She just needed one more push.
"Think about it. You will receive honors, and I will make your name known not just in this kingdom but in the world. Your achievements will make you respected and admired. I will erect schools and buildings in your honor. You will no longer live in this filth that does not do justice to your strength and intelligence!"
"I... must say, when you mentioned the deal, I didn't expect much," she said with a sigh. "But I agree to your terms. However, if I even get a whiff of betrayal, I will not hesitate to kill you." As she spoke, a surge of aura emanated from her body but quickly dissipated.
"Then it's a deal"